Entry No. 15 — the San Diego file — filed under: folk-art-environment

WorldBeat Cultural Center

A one-million-gallon water tower on the edge of Balboa Park, abandoned for decades, that founder Makeda Cheatom and the community repainted and rebuilt into a round, mural-wrapped Pan-African/multicultural arts center — flags of every nation hang from the ceiling inside, and the exterior is covered floor to dome in Egyptian, African, and Indigenous imagery.

The move: Wander the free galleries inside the old tank, then catch one of the reggae/African drum-and-dance nights or open-mic sessions the center runs regularly — check the calendar first since events are ticketed and rotate.

• 📍 Balboa Park / downtown-adjacent
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 2100 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Official site · kpbs.org

last checked: 2026-07-19